Talk about an exciting weekend! The New Jersey Devils kicked it off with the Connor Hellebuyck blockbuster trade. The big news was on everyone’s mind heading into Saturday afternoon’s game and following the 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. 

“There should be a lot of noise about it. It's a huge splash for our team, our market,” Jack Hughes stated after the Devils' third win in a row. The Hellebuyck deal is where this week’s Devils Notebook begins. With a few days to process the trade, it’s a good time ot look at some lessons and takeaways from the deal for both the Devils, the Winnipeg Jets, and the NHL. 

1. The best time to trade a player is early; the value only goes down from there. The analogy is a car: once it’s purchased, the value is at its highest. In the Jets’ case, they had offers when the draft took place. 

There were reports that the Buffalo Sabres wanted to acquire Hellebuyck, and other teams were willing to move top draft picks to make the deal happen. Instead, the Jets waited, hoping the trade request from their goaltender would subside and that a better offer would come later. 

Weeks turned into months, and the Heritage Classic, combined with a team-imposed suspension ending, put an official clock on this trade. The Jets had to get it done this weekend. Devils' general manager, Sunny Mehta, made his offer to acquire Hellebuyck at a time when he knew the Jets were desperate to get a deal done. 

The return for many hockey fans appears underwhelming. The Devils gave up Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, and two future draft picks. However, none of the draft picks were first-rounders, and Mercer is the only NHL-ready skater in the return. 

The problem for the Jets is that their hands were tied. Hellebuyck had a no-trade clause and could pick his destination. Moreover, they had to trade him, and the rest of the league knew it. 

That said, GM Kevyn Chevedeyoff waited until the last minute, even though he had better offers earlier. Many people would criticize Jim Rutherford for making trades well before deadlines, whether it was the Bo Horvat or Quinn Hughes deals. However, that approach gave the Vancouver Canucks the best possible offers, and when the best offer is on the table, it’s best not to wait. 

2. Eventually, every GM must make a big swing to take a good team and put it over the hump. Mehta is coming over from the Florida Panthers, who were known for their aggressive approach under GM Bill Zito. Only three players on the back-to-back Cup-winning teams were drafted and developed by the team (Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, and Anton Lundell). The rest were signed in free agency or added in trades. 

Zito’s early years as the Panthers team builder featured under-the-radar trades that turned into home runs. The Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett trades came at a low cost and gave them two top-six forwards. However, Zito had to take the big swing to turn the Panthers into a Cup contender. 

That swing was Matthew Tkachuk. The Panthers gave up a lot to get him, sending MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames. However, the Tkachuk move changed the team and built it for Cup runs. 

Eric Tulsky operated the same way when he took over as the Carolina Hurricanes GM. His big swing was the Mikko Rantanen trade, yet what made that move more impressive is that he realized it wouldn’t work out and flipped the star to the Dallas Stars for Logan Stankoven, who became an integral part of the 2026 Cup-winning team (interestingly, the Rantanen addition also gave the Hurricanes Taylor Hall, who was also a pivotal part of the playoff run). 

Sure, these trades can backfire. Nobody wants to be the GM who trades away Nick Suzuki for Max Pacioretty, yet everyone wants to be the Vegas Golden Knights, who made that deal along with the Jack Eichel and Mark Stone trades to build the 2023 Cup team. 

Mehta is operating the same way but at a higher speed. He made his safe bets early on in his tenure, acquiring Amadeus Lombardi, Luke Evangelista, and a handful of depth players with upside in the offseason. Now, he’s ready to take swings. Hellebuyck is the big one who takes a Devils team that’s 7-4 and puts them in the contention conversation. 

3. Great teams can never have enough depth. When Mehta took over the Devils, it was a priority to add depth both on the NHL roster and at the American Hockey League level. Having the extra players helps when the injuries pile up, but also allows a GM to make a trade and not worry about the fallout. 

Mehta moved Mercer, a valuable middle-six winger, in the Hellebuyck trade. Yet he had the luxury of trading him because Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, and Jesper Boqvist, three players he acquired this summer, were playing a similar role and could fill that void. 

While it’s tough to trade Daws, a goaltender who was developed in the Devils farm system, the move was possible because of the Rémi Poirier waiver claim. If Hellebuyck isn’t ready for a few weeks, Jake Allen can take on the majority of the workload while Poirier can start a game or two. 

Adding depth also adds resources to the team. The Devils were in a better position to make this trade now than they were at the draft because of all the moves Mehta made. 

4. Goaltending doesn’t make the biggest difference, but it makes enough of a difference. The conversation around the Devils and goaltending after the trade was whether Hellebuyck adds enough value to make a difference. Does any goaltender move the needle enough to turn a team into a Stanley Cup contender? The recent Cup winners, notably the Hurricanes and Golden Knights, proved that a team doesn’t need to spend big on the position or have a clear-cut number one to win it all. 

Mehta, who comes from an analytical background, addressed this topic at Hellebuyck’s introductory press conference. “I think that the spread is narrower than most people think, but that doesn't mean the spread is zero at all,” he stated regarding the impact of elite goaltending. 

It’s worth adding that the position is tougher to predict. So, why make a move for a goaltender when the deal can flop? If the goaltending position is tricky to predict, where do you want to bet? You want to bet on a person that has a large sample size of excellent results who's on a good cap hit. That's literally the three things that hit with Connor,” Mehta added. 

A great goaltender might add a few wins or steal a few games. Similarly, the gap between good and great coaching might be a game or two. However, that’s the difference between making and missing the playoffs. More importantly, a game or two can be the difference between winning a series or two. With Hellebuyck in the net, the Devils have enough of an edge over their division rivals to make the playoffs. If he plays at a high level, they might have the advantage over any team in a playoff series. And that’s a strong enough argument for Mehta to make this trade. 

5. One move in a vacuum might not work out, but if it opens the door for other star players, then it makes the initial deal worthwhile. The John Tavares contract, for example, wasn’t a great one for the Toronto Maple Leafs, arguably an overpay. That said, that deal convinced other star players to join the Maple Leafs and, more importantly, convinced the young core at the time that they were building something special (even if they didn’t in the end). 

A more relevant example to the Devils is the Sergei Bobrovsky contract. When the Panthers signed the goaltender, it was viewed as a terrible deal that was sure to age poorly. However, that contract was the first move to build them into a contender. By signing a star goaltender, it convinced other players that they were willing to buy in and make a push for a Cup. 

The Devils made a handful of moves to convince Hellebuyck to lift his no-trade clause and join them. The direction that the team is heading in convinced him that they are trending in the right direction.

Likewise, the Hellebuyck trade sends a message to the room that this front office is willing to go all in. It also sends the message to players on other teams that the Devils are making a push to win a Cup, and it’s a place worth signing in free agency or waiving a no-trade clause to join.  

Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported this week that Dylan Larkin expanded his trade list to include 10 teams. Larkin has a no-trade clause, but with the Detroit Red Wings refusing to move him, he’s willing to open up the list to teams that can make a favorable offer. The Devils were one of the teams on that list. 

Even after acquiring Hellebuyck, there’s always room for improvement, and the Devils are far from finished. “We're never done. We're never done, but I'm excited about the roster, and you guys know that; we talked about that in training camp,” Mehta stated after the Hellebuyck addition. 

At first, it seems unlikely that the Devils can make this trade. After all, other teams have more assets to move. However, the Devils have everything in place to make a trade happen, notably because of the depth they’ve stocked up on this offseason. 

If the Red Wings want young NHL-ready players, the Devils can offer Arseny Gritsyuk or Luke Evangelista. If they want prospects, the Devils have Anton Silaev and Lenni Hämeenaho in their system. They also have two 2027 first-round picks. 

In short, Mehta has enough to put together a strong package. The asking price for top-six centers is usually three pieces, and while the Red Wings will want more for Larkin, they might settle for that price. 

Larkin, at first glance, isn’t the player that the Devils need. They are set up in the middle with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. However, he’s a versatile forward who can play anywhere in the lineup and impact the game in different ways. Adding him gives the Devils forward unit another dimension. 

Cynically, it’s easy to look at the Devils and think that they are trying to assemble the USA Olympic super team (minus the Tkachuk brothers). Why stop at Hellebuyck or Larkin? They might as well add Zack Werenski at the trade deadline, especially if the Columbus Blue Jackets are sellers. Plus, they can sign Quinn Hughes in the offseason. 

That said, Larkin might become Mehta’s next target. And as Mehta has shown, when he has a target, he’s willing to make the right offer to get it done. 

The Devils haven’t had a real road trip yet this season. They’ve played three of their first 11 games on the road, but the rest of their games have been at Prudential Center. This week, they have a back-to-back against the Dallas Stars (Oct. 27) and Colorado Avalanche (Oct. 28) before wrapping things up against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 30. 

“It’s actually great that we have a road trip. We haven't really had an actual trip yet, so I think it's good for our group,” Jake Allen mentioned after the third consecutive home game. It’s good for teams who need a “simple road game,” which typically happens when teams have minimal practice time. It also helps teams that are playing the right way, as they can build a hot streak.  

It’s specifically beneficial for the Devils, who are looking to bond as a team, especially now that Hellebuyck is joining them. “I remember coming here when I got traded, and we went right on the trip, and I thought it was great for me,” Allen added. Allen, like Hellebuyck, is a veteran goaltender who needed time with the team both on and off the ice. A road trip provides it. 

“Perfect timing to get on the road. We've accomplished what we needed to here on this home stand. Our game's in a really good place right now,” Brenden Dillon stated. It’s a good time for the Devils to build on their hot streak and move up in the standings. 

The question many fans have is whether Hellebuyck will start a game on the upcoming road trip. Hellebuyck is ready to go, something he told Mehta the moment the trade was official, and he confirmed during his introductory presser. It speaks to his competitive drive. However, it’s still up in the air, and the Devils will figure it out as things play out. 

Dillon couldn’t stop beaming and holding back his excitement when talking about Hellebuyck. The two were teammates in Winnipeg and knew each other well, allowing him to help with the move. “I think my wife's texted his wife about places to live and not to live, where to where to go. He's got two kids right around my two. So, it'll be great,” Dillon noted. 

Both players are at a similar point in their careers. Both Dillon and Hellebuyck are in their 30s, have families, and are looking to win a Cup before retiring and settling down. 

While the media was waiting to speak to Sheldon Keefe in his pregame availability against the Kings, I asked Amanda Stein, the Devils team reporter and media aficionado for the past decade, if Hellebuyck was the best goaltender she’s covered. Before joining the Devils beat, she covered the Montreal Canadiens, so Carey Price was the best goaltender she’s covered. 

Seconds later, a handful of reporters were debating which goaltender was better and who was the greatest of all time. Is Carey Price in the top 10? What about Marc-Andre Fleury? It was a fun moment before everyone gathered around Keefe to discuss Hellebuyck and the state of the Devils. 

Arseny Gritsyuk scored on an empty net in Saturday’s 3-1 win to extend his scoring streak to five games. He now leads the Devils with six goals on the season. The Devils were hoping for a breakout season from Gritsyuk, and so far, he’s delivered. 

After acquiring Hellebuyck, Mehta admitted it was exciting to get the deal done. “Yeah, it's exciting. They're all exciting, though. Every trade we make, every transaction, every signing, every contract, everything. It's why I love this job. It's, you know, I love it. I love the action,” Mehta noted. It’s the feeling that the Devils, the fans, and everyone in between have right now. It’s an exciting time for the Devils!

What’s on your mind from the past week? What will you keep an eye on in the upcoming matchups? Comment below!